


Season Two

by Cori92



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol, Explicit Language, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Mystery, Post episode 5, Post-Canon, Recreational Drug Use, Sexual Content, Teenage Drama, Time Travel, Time Travelling Lesbians, bae b4 bay, pricefield
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-04
Updated: 2015-11-04
Packaged: 2018-04-30 00:26:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5143559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cori92/pseuds/Cori92
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chloe and Max leave a decimated Arcadia Bay. While trying to let go of the past, Max's powers continue to evolve without her consent, and it becomes clear that the past isn't done with them yet. Ominous visions lead the pair back to the Tobanaga, and they find themselves unraveling a mystery they can barely comprehend. It turns out that a few uneducated teenagers spouting out the words "chaos theory" may not have been the answer all along.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Season Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night after the storm.

Ch. 1

After the storm, they drove. Chloe had always wanted to leave, and if this wasn’t the right time to, then when was?

Max had considered postponing their escape to instead search for survivors, but that thought had taken a dark direction. She could picture them digging through rubble, the same way they’d dug through dirt for Rachel. And just like Rachel, they would unearth someone important. Joyce. David. Kate. No life left in their eyes, no life left anywhere.

Maybe it was selfish to barrel out of the town she’d just destroyed, but since she’d already made a selfish choice _to_ destroy the town, what difference did it make? Why stop there?

She was selfish. Max couldn’t bring herself to initiate a conversation with Chloe the entire ride. She didn’t even ask where she was taking them. It didn’t matter.

Chloe drove all into the night, occasionally glancing over at Max, fiddling with the radio when the stations ebbed away. She stopped at several gas stations, using their stolen five grand to grab snacks, drinks, and fuel.

Vanessa and Ryan blew up Max’s phone. She knew they had to be completely flipping out, panicking over the thought of their only daughter, dead. Max knew she should answer. She wanted to talk to them, wanted to hear their voices, tell them everything was okay. But she didn’t. Chloe’s phone wasn’t ringing. No one was trying to get ahold of Chloe. How could she sit in the same car as her friend, and shove it in her face that her parents were alive and concerned, after she’d just killed hers?

Max shut off her phone.

“Max,” Chloe said. “They’re worried.”

“I know,” said Max, pressing her face into the truck’s window.

“They’re scared shitless, you can’t just shut them out.”

“I’ll still be alive tomorrow. I’ll deal with it then.”

“That's--” Chloe cut herself off with a sigh. “Okay.” She turned up the radio station.

The truck’s clock read 11:12 PM before Chloe pulled into the parking lot of a shitty looking motel.

Out of habit, Max reached for luggage that didn’t exist. Instead, she grabbed a Walmart bag filled with cheap t-shirts, shorts, and panties. In her other hand, her camera bag filled with polaroids and her journal.

Chloe opened Max’s door, and grabbed the two bags from her friend’s hands.

“I think I can carry two things, Chlo.”

“Just c’mon.” Chloe shouldered Max’s camera bag, and reached her hand out to Max.

Max grabbed it, and stepped outside of the car. She let Chloe lead her into the motel lobby. Chloe raised her left arm up, letting the Walmart back slide down into the crook of her elbow, freeing up space to maneuver cash out for a room. Her right hand never left Max’s.

Room 217. If Max had it in her to laugh, she would have.

But she didn’t.

Chloe tossed the door closed behind them, and flicked on the lights. A queen bed, a dresser, and a TV from last decade adorned the room. Paint was peeling from the walls, and water stains covered the carpet and ceiling.

“Wow, um, kind of a shit hole.” Chloe ran a hand through her hair. “Sorry, I just-- I was tired. We can find somewhere else if you want.”

Max squeezed her hand. “It’s fine. Get some rest.” The state of a sketchy motel room was the least of her fucking worries.

Letting go of Max’s hand, Chloe fished out a t-shirt and a pair of underwear. She draped them over the brunette’s shoulder. “Go get changed. Don’t wanna sleep in that rain and sweat drenched shit you’ve got on now,” she said, flashing her a smile, and nodding her head towards the bathroom.

Max obeyed, stepping into the bathroom, and closing the door behind her. She stripped down to her bra and panties, before sliding down onto the floor.

_What the fuck have I done?_ She pressed her palms into her eyes, trying to push back the tears before they could start. _Stop feeling so fucking sorry for yourself. You did this. Feel sorry for the lives you destroyed, feel sorry for--_

__

Chloe’s voice could be heard on the other side of the wall. She was talking to someone, someone else, someone not Max.

Max slid out of the rest of her clothes, and hurriedly pulled on the new ones. She opened the door, and looked at Chloe who was sitting on the edge of the bed. She was on the phone with someone, reassuring them. “We’re fine, we’re okay, calm down. She’s okay.”

Max’s heart jumped. Did Joyce call Chloe? Maybe things weren’t completely fucked.

“Oh, hey, she’s outta’ the bathroom now. Lemme pass the phone to her.” Chloe held the phone out. “They really wanna talk to you.”

_They? Joyce and David?_

She snatched for the phone, and pressed it to her ear. “Hello?”

“Maxine! Oh, baby, you’re okay, oh my god. I saw the news, and when you weren’t answering, I thought…”

“Mom?”

“I’m so glad to hear your voice. Chloe told me you’ve been driving all night, and haven’t had signal, and--”

Her dad’s voice in the background. “Let me talk to her, Vanessa!”

“Oh. Oh yeah. Daddy wants to talk to you, too. I’m so glad you’re okay. I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, mom.”

Her dad now. “Max.” He sounded much more composed. “I’m glad you made it out of that thing okay. You are okay, right? Did you get hurt at all? Debris?”

“No. Not a scratch.”

“That’s what Chloe said. She also said you’re, uh, “hella tired.”” She could hear the forced grin in his voice. “So I’m not gonna let your mom keep you up anymore. Sleep tight, and we’ll see you soon.”

“How soon?”

“I guess whenever you get here. Chloe told us the plans. I know you guys have other plans before Seattle, but don’t wait too long or your mom might have an aneurysm. If you need any money, or you need plane tickets, don’t hesitate to ask. I love you, honey.”

“I love you!” her mom in the background.

“I love you guys, too…”

“Alright, now get to bed, and tell Chloe we’re excited to see her too. Good night, baby.”

“I will. Good night.”

She clicked the “END” button on her phone, and shot a glare at Chloe. “You called them.”

“Yeah, dude, they’re fucking freaked. Look, I know you’re going through a lot of shit right now, but we have to deal with it. I’ll help you; just let me help you.” She stood from the bed, and reached for Max’s hand again.

Max slapped it away.

“What did I do wrong? My bad, sorry that I told your parents that you’re not fucking dead.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Chloe!”

“Well, I kinda destroyed the town and maybe my--,” she faltered. “But--”

“No, you didn’t. That was me. I made that choice. You told me to go back, to make things right, and I couldn’t.”

“And now you’re having second thoughts.” Chloe frowned, but didn’t look hurt. She nodded like she understood.

“No! I’m not, that’s what’s so fucked up. I feel so fucking bad for what happened. For what happened to you. Warren, Victoria, Dana, Kate… I hope they’re okay, but they’re nothing compared to you. You were so selfless; you were willing to throw away everything to save your mom, David, and a town full of people you hate.

“And I killed them. And not even for you, Chloe. For me. I need someone to talk to, I need someone. I need you. I threw your feelings to the side, I threw your goddamn mom to the side, and--”

Chloe grabbed her arm and yanked her into the bed next to her. “Stop it! You’re the bravest person I know. You’ve been through fucking hell this past week--I can’t even say week, I have no idea how long you relived all of this bullshit--and you deserve this. You deserve to make your own choices, and not worry about saving everyone. That’s not your job.”

Max slid her arms around Chloe’s torso, and leaned into her. “But Joyce… David… You asked me to save them.”

“Max, it’s not like I wanted to die, okay? That thought fucking terrifies me. I just… I wanted to make it easy on you. I knew you would do it, go back, and save them, and let my stupid ass die. But then you didn’t, and… Yeah, I feel hella fucked up about this, but I’m relieved. I’ll be devastated if they’re gone, but I have to keep looking forward now. You gave me a chance to turn my shitty life around, and I’m going to take it. I’m done feeling sorry for myself.”

They crawled into bed, their arms splayed across each other.

“Chloe?” she whispered, moving her head to look up at her face.

“Yeah?” She looked down, met her gaze.

“I love you.”

“Well, yeah, I didn’t think you let a tornado wipe out the town because you hated me. And you never really struck me as the ‘just wanna watch the world burn’ kinda chick. That’s more my style.”

Max snorted, and let out a single breath of laughter. “Yeah, I guess that wouldn’t make sense.”

“I love you, too.”

There was a moment of silence where Max ran her free hand through Chloe’s hair. Ran her fingers down her jawline.

“That’s… good,” she finally said.

“Jesus Max, you live through alternate lives, and still come back awkward as hell.” Chloe took Max’s hand away from her jaw, and kissed the palm of her hand. “Go to sleep.”

Max rolled away from her, the arch of her back pressing into Chloe’s chest and stomach. Chloe wrapped her arms around her, burying her face into Max’s hair. Messy and warm, the scent of rain still clinging to it.

#

“Please, don’t do this!” Max shot awake, her words echoing into the darkness. She could feel Jefferson’s breath on her, his hands cradling her face, positioning her, moving her.

‘ _So fucking perfect_ ,’ he mumbled.

Patting the bed, she fumbled for Chloe, but came up empty. “Chloe?” Panic colored her voice, and painted her face in sweat. It was so fucking dark in here, and her eyes refused to adjust. She stumbled out of the bed, the blanket still half-wrapped around her. Narrowly avoiding tripping, Max brought herself to the wall and felt blindly for a light switch.

Finally finding it, she switched it on, and--

Nothing. No one. Alone.

“Chloe?” she whispered to herself. Not in the bathroom. Not in the bed. Nowhere.

In a numb haze, she opened the motel door and stepped outside into the cold fall air. It bit at her cheeks and exposed arms and legs, but felt almost pleasant against the heat of her anxiety.

_She’s okay, she’s okay, she has to be. She didn’t just fucking die again, right?_

Shivering, she made her way over to the truck. As she got closer, she could see the shadow of a figure leaning against the front bumper. She picked up her pace, running now, barefoot across the pavement.

“Chloe!” she called.

“Max?” the older girl responded, twisting her head and body around. A cigarette hung from the corner of her mouth, and her cell-phone rested in her left hand. “The fuck are you doing out here? You’re half naked, it’s freezing.”

Chloe clicked her tongue. “Trying to give everyone a free show?” She walked over to her friend to bridge the gap, finally getting a good look at her face. “Hey, woah, what the fuck? What’s wrong?”

Shrugging off her jacket, she wrapped it around Max, and used the sleeves to pull her into her chest. “What happened?”

“I- I just.” Max took in a few shaky breaths, taking a moment to feel Chloe’s warmth around her, inhaling the crisp air and cigarette smoke in the process. She shook her head against her friend. “Nightmare. It was stupid, I’m sorry.”

“Enough with the apologies.” She sounded stern for half a second, but then relented, “Let’s get your ass inside, and we can talk. It’s gonna be okay.” Dropping her cigarette to the ground, she stamped it out, and began to lead Max back to their room.

“Hey, wait,” Chloe mumbled, holding Max by the arm. She slid out of her shoes, and pointed at them. “Get them on.”

“It’s fine,” Max said, trying to keep her gaze aimed at the ground.

“Did I ask? Fuck’s sake, there’s glass and rocks and shit around here that you don’t need to be stepping in.”

“Neither do y--”

“ _Max._ ”

Max slid into Chloe’s shoes, and is reminded of the feeling of being a child again, trying on her dad’s work boots. Way too big for her.

“Plus, at least I’ve got socks on.”

“Mm,” is Max’s response.

Chloe wraps an arm around Max’s shoulder, and walks her back to their room. She slides in the keycard, and holds the door open for her. “Half-naked ladies first.”

“So,” Chloe said, her body falling against the bed. “What’s up, dude?”

“I just… I freaked, that’s all.” Max pulled Chloe’s jacket tighter against her, and slowly stepped over to the bed. “Stupid fucking nightmare. And then you weren’t here, and I assumed the worst.”

Chloe blew out a long breath, knocking stray strands of hair out of her face in the process. “Sorry. Couldn’t sleep. Needed some air, and shit.”

Max sat next to Chloe on the bed, and the older girl’s hand reached out to rub slow circles against her back.

“Don’t be sorry. You didn’t do anything.” She shook her head, and pulled her legs up onto the bed. “It’s just been a crazy fucking day.”

“Hella crazy,” Chloe mumbled back. “But, uh.” She cleared her throat, and her hand paused in its motions. “Did you, like, wanna talk about it? Your nightmare, or…” she trailed off, not knowing how to phrase it.

“No.” Max sighed, and tossed the other girl a quick glance. “Not yet.”

“Okay. That’s cool. Just, y’know, I’m here for you. Like I said before.”

“I know.” Max flashed a half-smile.

“Well, you should either sleep or shower. You smell like rain, and sweat, and, like, fucking dread.”

Max rolled her eyes, and brought her face to Chloe’s. She inhaled her scent, and frowned. “Yeah, you’re so much better. You smell like rain and sweat, too. And cigarettes. And…” She narrowed her eyes, and Chloe tried to lean away. “Alcohol?”

“Shit, yeah, okay. Save the lecture, alright? I have an emergency kit in my car, and I thought today qualified.”

Chloe eyed her in trepidation, waiting for the disappointed response.

“Do you, um… Do you have anymore?”

Chloe cocked an eyebrow. “As much as I love bringing you to the dark side with me, you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Save the lecture,” she quipped back.

“Fair enough. I’ll go get it on one condition.”

Max sighed. “What condition?”

“Take a shower, you dirty hippie.”

“You’re such an ass.”

“Maybe. But the grungy don’t-give-a-fuck look definitely doesn’t suit you. It’s just depressing.”

“Okay, okay. Shower it is.”

Chloe stepped outside, and Max stepped into the bathroom. Letting her clothes fall to the floor, she turned on the water and hopped in. Water cascaded down her body like rain had so many hours before. Rather than relax her like usual, the feeling of warm water made her feel uneasy. She soaped up her hair and body faster than she thought possible, and was standing on the cold tile soon after.

With the water off, she could hear the muffled noise of the TV from the other room. After drying off with a towel, she threw her clothes back on, and made her way to Chloe.

“What’chya watching?” Max asked.

Chloe looked up. “Just caught the ass-end of Kill Bill. This TV has, like, no stations.” She tapped the remote in annoyance. “Oh well. We can entertain ourselves, right Super Max?”

Max folded her arms. “Probably shouldn’t call me that anymore. Pretty sure superheroes save towns, not destroy them.”

“Fuck that. You’ll always be Super Max to me.”

Max opened her mouth to argue, but Chloe shushed her and grabbed for the bottle leaning against the bed.

“Shot?” Chloe asked, the small ghost of a smile beginning to creep across her face.

“You keep an entire handle of vodka in your car? That is so fucking illegal.” A grin tugged at the corner of her mouth. “And so fucking you.”

“Go big or go home, right? Not like I’ll get in any less trouble for a flask or a couple of shooters. When I need a drink--” Chloe shook the bottle in her hand as emphasis “--I need a fucking drink.”

“God, part of me wants to lecture you so bad right now,” Max teased, sitting down on the bed. She reached out for the bottle and unscrewed the cap. “Um, so do you have anything else to drink, like, after this?”

“Chaser? I’ve got you covered, dude.” She reached around, and pulled out a bottle of soda. “Now quit stalling, sista. Down that shit.”

Max breathed in deep, put the bottle to her lips, and tipped her head back. She drank, and instantly recoiled, coughing hard. “That’s so fucking gross.” She tore the soda from Chloe’s hands and took several long drinks.

Chloe laughed, grabbing the liquor from Max. She took a quick shot, wincing only momentarily. “Yeah, it’s cheap-o vodka, what did you expect? It’s not like I can afford smooth-ass, aged whiskey or some shit.”

“I know, I know,” Max said, giggling. “I just didn’t expect that. The last time I drank was, well, with you. You remember the wine?”

“Wow, dude, really? That was so long ago.” Chloe nudged the bottle into Max’s hands. “Don’t worry, we’ll find your inner party girl.”

She rolled her eyes, but took another swig. “God, it burns.”

“That it does. But the burn replaces, y’know, actual feelings.” Chloe took another drink, and passed it back to her friend. “Alright, we gotta do something while we drink.”

“TV?” Max asked, taking another shot.

“Unless you wanna watch the news or infomercials, probably not.” Chloe sat up straight, raising an eyebrow at Max. “Oh, I know.”

“I’ve told you before, that look scares me.”

“Truth or dare, Maxxie?”

Setting the vodka to the side, Max rolled her eyes. “Why, so you can dare me to kiss you again?”

“You wish. But, only one way to find out.”

“Fine,” Max said. “Um, truth.”

“Hmmm,” Chloe said in mock-contemplation. “Did you let any of the Blackwell bros into your pants?”

Max snorted. “Like who?”

“I dunno, man, like that one geeky dude who’s always up your ass.”

“Warren,” Max said. She frowned, wondering where he was now. The last time she’d seen him had been in another timeline in the Two Whales Diner. Where was he in this timeline?

“I’ll take that as a ‘no’ then,” Chloe continued. “Wait, are you still a virgin?”

Max shook herself from her thoughts, and shot a glare at the older girl. “That’s two questions.”

“Fuck, fine. You’re up, then.” She stretched her arms out above her head, then reached a hand forward for the liquor.

“Alright, truth or dare?”

“Dare. Let’s see what the wild Mad Max can come up with.”

“This game is totally unfair with you. You’ll, like, do anything.”

Chloe put a hand to her chest in an exaggerated display of offense. “Maxine Caulfield, are you calling me a whore?”

Max laughed, long and hard, and had to force herself to stop. “I think I can feel the alcohol,” she said between breaths.

“Good. That means keep drinking.”

Nodding in agreement, Max took another drink, and wiped her mouth dry on the back of her hand. “Okay, um. I dare you to go flash the check-in dude.”

“He’s, like, ancient. So not cool.” But Chloe stood up anyway, staggering only slightly.

Max followed, tripping over herself and giggling.

“Put some pants on or he’ll think I’m inviting him to a threesome.”

Bending down to grab aforementioned pants, she stumbled into Chloe’s stomach.

“Lightweight, much?” Chloe grunted out, trying to steady her friend. “Here, lay on the bed, and I’ll help you.”

Nodding and still laughing, the brunette backed up until the back of her knees hit the bed. She allowed her body to topple onto it, and raised up her legs. “Dress me!” she commanded with a slight slur.

It was Chloe’s turn to laugh now. “What, am I your servant now?”

“Well, you said before you were my sidekick, right? And if you’re not gonna stop calling me Super Max, then it still applies.” She kicked her legs in the air expectantly.

“Can’t argue with that logic.” Chloe grabbed for a pair of sweat pants, and tugged them over Max’s legs. “You gotta stop fucking wiggling around so much.”

“Make me,” she shot back, rolling around on the bed.

“A few shots ‘n you’re already white girl wasted.”

They both laughed, and Chloe managed to wrestle on Max’s pants. She held a hand out for Max, and pulled her up into a standing position.

“Alright, let’s go show my tits to Mr. Check-In Dude.”

Swaggering out into the cold, they clung to each other the only way two intoxicated girls do; stumbling, laughing, and many close calls with face-to-ground action. Chloe was very much the more stable of the duo, and spent the majority of their walk pulling Max away from the gravel.

They got to the front office, knocking the doors out of their way. Chloe ran up to the counter, dragging Max along beside her.

Check-In Dude looked up from his book. “Can I help you?”

“Hi,” Chloe said breathlessly, ushering another wave of laughter from the photographer. “Shh, shut up, dude, I need to like, concentrate.”

Check-In Dude put his book down, and eyed them suspiciously. “Hi,” he mirrored back. “Can I help you?”

“Yeah, I just, I totally need your opinion on something. Like, I need a dude’s opinion and you’re the only guy around. Can I ask you a totally serious question?” Max snorted, and Chloe elbowed her in the side. “This is _serious_ , Max.”

The man behind the counter relaxed, and instead raised a curious eyebrow at them. It was obvious now that they were intoxicated, and two young, cute girls didn’t pose him much of a threat. He looked more amused now than anything. He probably didn’t get the chance to socialize much on the graveyard shift.

“Yeah, okay. What’s the question?”

“So, uh,” Chloe paused, lifting up her shirt. Max slapped a hand over her mouth to subdue the laughter. “Do you think I should get the _left_ one pierced, or the _right_? Which one would look more kick-ass?”

“Uh,” he said, blinking slowly. He rubbed the back of his neck, not looking away from her chest.

“Come on,” Max whined, “She said this was _cereal_.”

“B-both?” was his dumbfounded reply.

Chloe nodded like she was satisfied, and pulled her shirt back down. “Sweet, thanks for the advice. Anyway, catch ya later!’ She made to turn around, but instead paused. “Oh, yeah, and tell them not to wake us up in the morning. Room 217. I’ll pay extra or whatever.”

“Yeah, uh, sure thing.” He said, still looking at her with wide eyes.

“Cool, peace out.”

“Bye,” said Max.

They made their way back to their room, and once inside, Max collapsed into a fit of giggles. “I wanna say I can’t believe you did that, but I can.” She crawled back over to the bed, and leaned against it. Popping the vodka’s cap back open, she took a shot, and handed it over to Chloe. Chloe accepted, drinking deep and shuddering at the taste.

“Truth or Dare?” Chloe asked.

“If I don’t go with dare, you’ll call me a chicken.”

“What? No, of course not. Just a pussy.”

Max shoved her shoulder playfully. “Dare.”

“Okay, let me come up with something that won’t harm your delicate psyche.”

Max shoved her again. “I am so not delicate after all the shit that’s happened.”

“Ohh, well in that case, I dare you to… Give me a bit of a show. Like, a strip tease, with all the sexy dancing and shit.”

Max felt the blood rush to her face, and wondered if she felt hot from the alcohol or from Chloe’s request. They’d seen each other naked a million times before as kids, but this somehow felt different.

As if reading her mind, Chloe added, “Not, like, actual strip. You can keep the bra and panties. But you’ve gotta take off the shirt and pants all seductive-like.” She tilted her head to the side, a lewd smile dancing across her lips. “Or are you too chickenshit?’

“No! I just have no idea what to do.”

“Improvise! I’m not gonna pull up youtube videos of how to act like a stripper. I mean, that’d be pretty tame compared to the rest of my search history, but still. You’ve got this, let’s see it.”

Max stood up, gripping the bed for balance. Chloe leaned backwards on her elbows, watching her expectantly.

Her hands shaking, and her face burning, she reached down for the hem of her pants. Slowly, she started to slip them off.

“Seductive, Max. Don’t just take them off, strip.”

“This is fucking humiliating.”

“Dude, I just showed my tits to a guy I don’t even know.”

Max made a noise of frustration, and tried to sway her hips while pulling down her pants. Once they were around her ankles, she tried to shake them off, and stumbled forward.

“Okay, one down, one more to go,” Chloe said with a grin.

Criss crossing her arms, Max grabbed at the bottom of her shirt, and pulled it upwards, still moving her body around awkwardly. She approached Chloe, and once the shirt reached its way to her head, she fumbled, and fell into her friend.

Chloe broke out into drunken laughter, and pulled Max’s shirt back down onto her body. “I guess no moshpit for you, shakah brah.”

Max huffed, and rolled off of Chloe. “Are you ever going to let me live that down?”

“Nope. Never.”

“Well,” said Chloe, “I guess you tried. Valiant effort. I’ll let you off this time, Super Max.”

“Oh, you’re so generous.” Max smiled again, though. The alcohol made everything feel so much lighter, easier. “So, truth or dare?”

“Mm, truth, I guess. Otherwise I’m afraid you’ll dare me to fuck that guy next.”

“Well, you do have condoms in your wallet, right?”

“Yeah, but they’ve been in there for like two years, dude.” Chloe chuckled, then narrowed her eyes. “Wait, you went snooping through my wallet? Fucking Caulfield, don’t ever change.”

“Mm, I’m kind of a nosey bitch, aren’t I?”

“That’s the biggest understatement of the year.”

“Oh well,” Max said. “Anyway, so… truth, truth… Um. I know that I probably shouldn’t, and if I didn’t feel so… so weird right now, I wouldn’t.”

Chloe reached out and squeezed Max’s knee. “I’m an open book, you know that. Ask away.”

Max bit the inside of her cheek, and rushed out her question. “So, Rachel and you, like, uh… Um, what were you guys exactly? And you don’t have to answer that! Actually, don’t, don’t even answer, that was so fucked up of me to ask.”

“Chill,” said Chloe, her tone more somber than it had been. She sighed, patting her pockets for a cigarette before realizing they were still stuffed into the dash of her car. “We… She… I was her on and off again experiment. I fell for the straight girl. She didn’t fall for me. We were kinda like friends with benefits. Best friends with benefits. It was fun, and heartbreaking at the same time.” She shrugged, and knocked back another shot.

“I’m so sorry… I shouldn’t have.”

“Didn’t I say stop the apologies? It’s supposed to be healthy to talk about this shit, right?”

“Yeah. Probably. I don’t know.” Max blew out a hard breath.

“Wait, so, are you gay?” Max blurted out. “Oh my god, I’m sorry. It’s the alcohol, not me. Holy shit, I am the worst friend ever right now.”

“That’s two questions, Caulfield.” Chloe flashed a cheeky smile, but continued, “I’m not into the labels bullshit. I like who I like, and I like what I like.”

“Right, yeah, that’s so cool.” Max nodded along.

“Truth or dare,” Chloe carried on.

“Definitely truth this time.”

“Okay, well now that we’re getting all serious and shit, why--” the words dried up in her throat, and she took another swig of liquor to hydrate them. “Why didn’t you ever contact me after you left?” She looked up to meet Max’s eyes, but found it to be too intense, too much. Instead, she looked to the carpet.

Max reached out for Chloe’s hand, and gripped it tightly in her own. “I don’t have a good excuse. I’m a shit friend. My… My mom didn’t like you.”

Chloe looked up at her again, frowning hard.

“She thought you were a bad influence… with the wine, and the pirate shenanigans. And I caved. I shouldn’t have, but I did. I regret it so much, then and now. My mom didn’t even want to send me to Blackwell because of… because of you.” Her eyes sparkled with tears, and she leaned into Chloe, wrapping her arms around her.

Chloe draped an arm loosely around her. “Everyone fucking hates me,” she mumbled into Max’s shoulder.

“No, no. Joyce and David love you, I love you. Fuck everyone else.”

“Yeah, and they--fuck--they might be gone… and you, I don’t even know why the fuck you choose me, why my worthless ass is still around.”

“Chloe,” Max said, backing out of her embrace. “Truth or dare.”

“Dude, I’m not sure I really wanna play anymore. I feel like shit, and I just wanna get drunk and feel sorry for myself.”

“Truth or dare,” she repeated.

“Seriously? Fucking fine. Truth.”

“Pick dare,” Max countered.

“That’s not how the game works.”

“Pick dare,” she repeated, emphasising her words.

“Whatever. Dare.”

“I…” Max breathed in, breathed out. “I dare you to kiss me. Double dare.”

Chloe’s eyes widened, her breath hitching in her throat. “You’re drunk, Max.”

“I don’t care.”

“I… I don’t either.”

Chloe scooted closer to Max, and leaned forward until Max’s head was pressed up against the edge of the mattress. She was close now, so close she could smell the liquor on her breath, feel the hot breath on her face.

She pushed forward another inch, and their lips met. It was soft, chaste, and over quickly. Chloe began to pull back to gauge her reaction, but Max’s hands found their way into Chloe’s blue hair, and then their lips were crashed back together.

It was sloppy, and desperate, and their teeth clacked together drunkenly, but it didn’t matter. Drunk and awkward aside, it was perfect, with no attention paid to the bitter taste of vodka being swapped between the two.

Chloe pulled the smaller girl closer, into her lap, and sighed into Max’s mouth. Max pulled back, gasping for air, and Chloe mumbled a low, sultry, “Breathe through your nose, dork,” before yanking her back into the kiss. She slid the tip of her tongue over Max’s bottom lip, earning a shudder from her. Chloe sucked on it, ran her fingertips across her thigh, and held her close until her head was spinning. Max played with her hair, gently pulling it, grazing the top of her scalp with light touches.

When they finally pulled apart, Max looked dazed, and the brunette was surprised to find that Chloe looked the same.

“That was…” Max trailed off.

“Yeah,” Chloe agreed.

“Let’s, um, let’s go to sleep. For real this time.”

“Yeah,” Chloe breathed again.

They crawled into bed, and fell asleep in each other’s arms.

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be a large undertaking for me, so bear with me. In this story, I'll be attempting to sew together the many plot holes we were left with, and explore explanations for Max's powers, Chloe's significance, and many aspects of the wonderful story that ultimately fell flat.
> 
> I'm going to delve a little deeper into the native American roots that Blackwell seems to have, the infamous Sean Prescott, and the ever elusive Rachel Amber.
> 
> I have vague ideas of what roads I'll be taking, and I hope the ride is entertaining. If it ends up a jumbled mess, I apologize in advance. I'll be trying to stick as close to canon as possible, so if someone spots a mistake, please let me know.
> 
> This first chapter is pretty light-hearted, and I imagine some people think they should be mopey and devastated. While I understand that point of view, I think after one day they would still be very much in shock, and teenagers have a way of coping by doing stupid shit, and ignoring problems. Don't worry, there will be plenty of time for depression and angst in the near future.
> 
> (Not to mention, WE deserve some fluff after that fucking ending)
> 
> Cheers.


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